Saturday 20th January

A visit between 8.30 and 10am today. Heavy rain at first but cleared after half an hour or so.

Generally quiet with the wind probably keeping the birds down. The scrape was empty and just a few Redwing flying over - I then crossed the railway. Abbey Mead didn't hold many birds, a few Teal on the river and several Grey Heron building nests on the far bank of the Medway. A Bullfinch called as I walked up the path by the river along with several Reed Bunting.

Between Brooklands Lake and the sunken marsh I had good views of both male and female Bullfinch.

The only other bird of note this morning was a male Sparrowhawk sitting in a tree and then flying low across the round pond.